River Thames cruise from Westminster to Greenwich

This is the classic way to see London from the water. The boats leave Westminster Pier, at the foot of Westminster Bridge below the Elizabeth Tower, and head east downstream. The operator, Thames River Sightseeing, says the run to Greenwich Pier takes an hour, and lists what you pass: the Palace of Westminster, the London Eye, the National Theatre, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe, HMS Belfast, the Shard, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and, beyond it, Canary Wharf. The boats call at Tower Bridge (Butler's Wharf Pier) on the way.

The crew talk you through it. The operator's ticket page lists live commentary in English, and an audioguide app in 11 languages: Spanish, Italian, French, German, English, Polish, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic and Mandarin. The boats have an open upper deck for photographs and an indoor saloon with big windows, a licensed bar selling snacks and drinks, and toilets. The flagship, the Thomas Doggett, seats 524 across open and covered decks, the operator says. Thames River Sightseeing describes itself as a family-owned company with more than 50 years on the river.

Greenwich is the reason the trip has an end point and not just a loop. The pier sits beside the Cutty Sark, and the Old Royal Naval College, the National Maritime Museum, the Queen's House and the Royal Observatory on the hill make up Maritime Greenwich, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. The operator says you can get off at Greenwich and take a later boat back, so a return ticket buys a half day: out by boat, an afternoon in Greenwich, and back up the river as the light goes.

Boats run every 40 minutes in daylight hours. On the operator's timetable for November and December 2026 they leave Westminster from 10:20 to 15:40 and Greenwich from 11:30 to 16:50, with no sailings from 24 to 26 December; from late March to October the first boat leaves at 10:00 and the last to Greenwich at 16:00, or 17:00 from June to early September, the operator's 2027 timetable says. The calendar shows the departures for your date. Buy one way or return on GetYourGuide, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

It is the most reviewed river cruise in London on GetYourGuide: about 25,800 reviews at 4.5 out of 5 on 7 November 2026, from 20.61 euros. Its sister trip from the same pier, Westminster to Tower Bridge, is 16.77 euros, rated 4.5 from about 6,800 reviews; take that if you have an hour, not half a day. City Cruises runs the same route from Westminster Pier with live or recorded commentary, and its One-Day Unlimited City Cruises River Pass was 11.98 euros on GetYourGuide, rated 4.5 from about 1,100 reviews: the better buy if you want to hop off at the London Eye and Tower piers as well. On its own site, City Cruises sells timed and flexible single tickets from £13. Thames River Sightseeing's own ticket page listed this route from £10.90 on 7 November 2026, so a one-way ticket bought direct can cost less; the GetYourGuide booking adds free cancellation up to 24 hours before and the live calendar.

Then there is the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, which also calls at Westminster and Greenwich. It is London's river bus, part of the TfL network, running from early morning until late at night, seven days a week, and taking contactless and Oyster. Its fares are on its own ticket page, and its GetYourGuide single ticket was 11.74 euros on 7 November 2026, rated 4.0 from about 1,200 reviews. Take the Uber Boat to get somewhere, after dark or one way to Greenwich after the sightseeing boats stop; take this cruise for the commentary and the open deck. Before or after, our Westminster on foot walk covers the Abbey, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace a few minutes from the pier, and the Tower and the Crown Jewels sit beside Tower Bridge.